History and Objectives of the AIIT
The idea of the
Ancient India & Iran Trust came to the founding Trustees in the 1970s, when
they became aware that the Indian sub-continent together with Iran, Afghanistan
& parts of Central Asia was the "neglected quarter" of the world
in terms of British cultural life. Britain had had a close association with
India in particular for over three centuries and had unrivalled resources for
the study of its culture, art and history, in the India Office Library, the
British Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum and much more. And yet, in the
wake of South Asian
independence there
were very few institutions, teaching posts or funds devoted to the promotion of
popular or scholarly interest in any of these regions.
Area
Covered:
1) The ancient Indian world. This comprises modern India, Pakistan,
Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and where relevant extends to South East Asia.
2) 
The ancient
Iranian world. This includes Iran, the Caucasus, Afghanistan and a large
part of Central Asia including the Tajik, Turkmen, Uzbek and Kirghiz Republics,
and Chinese Turkestan.
The
Ancient India and Iran Trust provides a focal point where scholars and members
of the public with interests in the cultures of the ancient Indian and Iranian
worlds can meet and discuss matters of common interest 
and use its unique
library.
Its
home is Brooklands House in Cambridge (see map
for exact location), where it holds small conferences, seminars, and courses of
lectures given by its Visiting Fellows from India and Pakistan and other
distinguished scholars. See the Events section for details. Anyone interested
is welcome. Callers are advised to ring and make an appointment (10 AM to 2 PM
weekdays) to avoid 
disappointment.
The Trust has its office in Brooklands House, and any enquiries regarding its publications and other activities can be directed there. Brooklands House is the home of the Trust's library, which includes books and MSS concerned with the archaeology, architecture, early history and languages of the Indian Sub-Continent, Iran, and Central Asia. Its core is the library of the late Prof. Sir Harold Bailey, which was officially recognised in 1986 as a library of national importance.
REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 276295